History

Program Information

Historical narrative occupies a central position in a liberal arts education. Such education equips individuals to understand and appreciate the world and to meet its challenges. The study of History contributes much to these ends, maintaining that people and societies are, in important respects, the products of their past; therefore, the story of the past provides insight helpful to both personal and social development.

History stands at the core of a liberal arts education, moreover, since one aim of that education is to integrate the various disciplines. Taking as its subject a narrative of individuals and society in the past, History draws upon all disciplines to discuss that past. It provides a narrative framework for the study of other disciplines and helps the advanced student integrate various academic perspectives.

History Department News

Nora Naranjo Morse will deliver the annual Phi Beta Kappa lecture at Kalamazoo College on Tuesday, October 11, at 8 p.m. in the Mandelle Hall Olmsted Room. The event is free and open to the public. Morse Morse is a … Continue reading →

Assistant Professor of Japanese Noriko Sugimori will use a three-year grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to contribute her research to the Oral History in the Liberal Arts (OHLA), a project of the Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA). In … Continue reading →

History major Kierra Verdun ’18 wasn’t planning on completing an internship this summer, but after speaking to her professor, Janelle Werner, the Marlene Crandell Francis Assistant Professor of History, about her post-grad plans, Kierra decided she needed some experience in … Continue reading →

Like its century-in-the-future counterpart, the class of ’16 (1916!) faced its share of campus crises scattered among the quotidian rhythm of challenge, disorientation, hard work, fun and growth. You can discover these similarities (and differences) from a display created by … Continue reading →

A workshop on human rights (April 14-16) at Kalamazoo College will offer the opportunity for some of the world’s leading scholars to discuss their work among themselves and an audience that includes students, faculty and the general public. The workshop … Continue reading →

In response to a prompt (called “Truths”) in an old class reunion questionnaire Vivian Mitchell Prindl ’35 wrote: “One is lucky if she learns to accept what comes. Life is much more pleasant if one has a contented frame of … Continue reading →

Move over, Chaucer! Kalamazoo College has its own “Miller’s Tale,” that of Alisa Crawford ’91, who recently won the state history award from the Historical Society of Michigan for her book “De Zwaan: The True Story of America’s Authentic Dutch … Continue reading →

Can you believe graduation is just around the corner? I couldn’t; or at least I couldn’t until the day last week when I watched College Archivist Lisa Murphy build a library display from old pictures and old traditions of previous … Continue reading →